Chinese New Year Year of the Dog swept the globe with many different campaign ads, reaching from mass marketing brands, to high-end retail, technology, and so much more. With Lunar New Year being such a family oriented event, a lot of campaigns took a more emotional route in engaging with the audience in a more sentimental way. You may need to grab a box of tissues!
Here are our Top Five LNY Campaign Ad’s for 2018!

This year, Asian-American designer Anna Sui teamed up with McDonald’s to create limited edition red envelopes in order to promote their US $1, $2 and $3 value menu. Being the Year of the Dog, Sui created two red envelope designs that feature popular Asian dog breeds like the Pug and the Shiba Inu. With a really unique aesthetic that Sui and her brand emulate, it was great to see the collaboration where luxury meets mass market brands.
Alipay x Coca Cola Campaign Ad Demo
Integrated with its LNY TV spots, Coca-Cola partnered with Alipay to launch a digital campaign utilizing QR codes, AR, and mobile payment. By scanning a QR code through the Coke ads or products, you unlock AR features on Alipay. Two animated characters, featured in past years’ Coke LNY ads, come to life through your phone. Following their display of holiday greetings, the characters gift you a red envelope of virtual cash which range from 1 cent to $15.50. With the accessibility and rapid adoption of both AR and mobile payment technology, particularly in China, this campaign’s modern take on the LNY tradition of red envelope gifting is genius! Check out their neat demo!
Region: China
NBA Chinese New Year Celebration
The NBA debuted a new series of television spots called, “Fireworks” featuring Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard. In these short campaign ads, it features a young boy who spots each of the basketball players in the midst of the Chinese New Year festivities and they continue to watch the celebration under the fireworks.
This is the seventh year that the NBA has celebrated the Chinese New Year Holiday. The NBA Chinese New Year Celebration has been growing in reach, starting off with 12 NBA teams presenting CNY themed displays in their home arenas, a special programming featuring Jeremy Lin doing a Q&A while eating a traditional CNY dinner, and other interactive fan games. As the NBA’s involvement with CNY continues to grow, we are excited to see what they have in store for next year!
Region: China
Apple: Three Minutes
Apple partnered with director, Peter Chan to create an emotional short film about family reunions. What was impressive about this ad was that this was all shot on the iPhone X. On Apple’s website, there are several segments on “How to shoot” with Peter Chan where he shares tips and tricks on how to shoot on the iPhone X with all the different available modes the camera has to offer. Definitely want to take advantage of these tutorials!
Region: Singapore
Budweiser: Marathon
You may need to grab a box of tissues for this one. Budweiser’s Chinese New Year 2018 campaign ad highlights the power and value of family with a short film that was premiered on the mega screen in Times Square in New York. The short film (in partnership with Anomaly Shanghai) follows a young woman and her relationship with her parents, filled with misunderstandings and conflict which is very reflective in today’s families. In the emotional ending, they resolve the tension in their relationship and celebrate by “toasting twice” and cracking a cold one with the family. When we think of Budweiser, we think of them primarily as a beer brand, but it’s interesting to see that they’re working towards becoming more of a lifestyle brand. A great first step by bringing in more positive messaging that is celebrated through all occasions!
Region: China